The 15th European Individual Championship was held in the Armenian capital Yerevan last month. A giant swiss open of 259 players from 27 countries, the tournament had the extra drawcard of awarding qualifying spots in the lucrative World Cup in 2015 to the top 23 places. Despite starting as 33rd seed and drawing his first round game, Russian GM Alexander Motylev then strung together five victories to take the sole lead. He continued to see off all challengers and maintain his lead over the remaining five rounds to finish on the outstanding score of 9/11, a point clear of eight grandmasters tied for second place.
Today’s game is the sixth round rout of his compatriot and then co-leader GM Alexander Raizantsev that allowed Motylev to establish a clear lead. Motylev is playing with the white pieces.
1.e4 c6 2.Nc3 d5 3.Nf3 Bg4
The most common reply to the Caro-Kann Two Knights variation. Black develops his bishop outside the pawn chain, but must be prepared to exchange it. 4.h3 Bxf3 5.Qxf3 e6 6.d3 Nf6 7.Bd2 Bd6?!
A strange choice of square for the bishop, where is vulnerable to a potential pawn fork. Black reconsiders on his next move. 8.g4 ...
Meanwhile White launches his kingside pawns forward, having prepared to castle queenside. Another possibility was 8.d4 forcing 8... dxe4 9. Nxe4 Nxe4 10. Qxe4 leading to a winning attack in Keres-Kagan 1967. 8... Bb4 9.a3 Ba5 10.g5 Nfd7 11.d4 O-O
Having lost time with his bishop, Black has little choice but to castle into the attack. 12.O-O-O e5!?
Perhaps already a sign of desperation, as opening the game up favours the better developed player. But Black will come under attack in any case after either 12... b5 13. exd5 exd5 14.Bd3 or 12... c5!? 13. exd5 cxd4 14. Nb5 Bxd2+ 15. Rxd2 e5 16. Qe4! Na6 17. Qh4! 13.dxe5 d4 14.Ne2 Bxd2+ 15.Rxd2 Qxg5
Black has nothing better than grabbing this pawn, which opens the g-file. 16.Nxd4 Qxe5
There is no respite in exchanging queens: 16... Nxe5 17. Qf5 Qxf5 18. Nxf5 g6 19. Nd6 b5 20. f4 Ned7 21 e5 and the white pieces rule the board. 17.Nf5 Nf6 18.Qg2! g6 19.Qg5! Re8
Black's queenside pieces are cunningly prevented from entering the game by the threat of 20. Nh6+. If here 19... Qxe4 20. Qxf6 Qxf5 21. Qxf5 gxf5 22. Rd6! Re8 23. Rg1+ Kh8 24. Bd3 and the weak black pawns start to topple. 20.f3 Kh8 21.Rg1 Ng8?!
Leading to a swift dénouement. But after 21... Nbd7 22. h4 b5 23. h5 Black is just helpless. e.g. 23... Rad8 24. Bh3! Nxh5 25. Nd6 Qxg5 26. Nxf7+ Kg7 27. Rxg5 Kxf7 28. Bxd7 Re7 29. Bxc6 Rxd2 30. Kxd2 a6 31. Ke3 with a winning ending. 22.Nd6! Qxg5 23.Rxg5 Re7 24.Re5! Rc7?
Black loses a pawn on 24... Rxe5 25. Nxf7+ Kg7 26. Nxe5, but now he loses much more due to his weak back rank. 25.Re8! b5 26.Nf5 Resigns
White threatens 27. Nh6 and 27. Rdd8 and if 26... gxf5 27. Rg2 h5 28. Rgxg8+ picks up both knights.
Motylev takes European Individual title
Problem: White to play and mate in 3.
The 15th European Individual Championship was held in the Armenian capital Yerevan last month. A giant swiss open of 259 players from 27 countries, the tournament had the extra drawcard of awarding qualifying spots in the lucrative World Cup in 2015 to the top 23 places. Despite starting as 33rd seed and drawing his first round game, Russian GM Alexander Motylev then strung together five victories to take the sole lead. He continued to see off all challengers and maintain his lead over the remaining five rounds to finish on the outstanding score of 9/11, a point clear of eight grandmasters tied for second place.
Today’s game is the sixth round rout of his compatriot and then co-leader GM Alexander Raizantsev that allowed Motylev to establish a clear lead. Motylev is playing with the white pieces.
1.e4 c6
2.Nc3 d5
3.Nf3 Bg4
The most common reply to the Caro-Kann Two Knights variation. Black develops his bishop outside the pawn chain, but must be prepared to exchange it.
4.h3 Bxf3
5.Qxf3 e6
6.d3 Nf6
7.Bd2 Bd6?!
A strange choice of square for the bishop, where is vulnerable to a potential pawn fork. Black reconsiders on his next move.
8.g4 ...
Meanwhile White launches his kingside pawns forward, having prepared to castle queenside. Another possibility was 8.d4 forcing 8... dxe4 9. Nxe4 Nxe4 10. Qxe4 leading to a winning attack in Keres-Kagan 1967.
8... Bb4
9.a3 Ba5
10.g5 Nfd7
11.d4 O-O
Having lost time with his bishop, Black has little choice but to castle into the attack.
12.O-O-O e5!?
Perhaps already a sign of desperation, as opening the game up favours the better developed player. But Black will come under attack in any case after either 12... b5 13. exd5 exd5 14.Bd3 or 12... c5!? 13. exd5 cxd4 14. Nb5 Bxd2+ 15. Rxd2 e5 16. Qe4! Na6 17. Qh4!
13.dxe5 d4
14.Ne2 Bxd2+
15.Rxd2 Qxg5
Black has nothing better than grabbing this pawn, which opens the g-file.
16.Nxd4 Qxe5
There is no respite in exchanging queens: 16... Nxe5 17. Qf5 Qxf5 18. Nxf5 g6 19. Nd6 b5 20. f4 Ned7 21 e5 and the white pieces rule the board.
17.Nf5 Nf6
18.Qg2! g6
19.Qg5! Re8
Black's queenside pieces are cunningly prevented from entering the game by the threat of 20. Nh6+. If here 19... Qxe4 20. Qxf6 Qxf5 21. Qxf5 gxf5 22. Rd6! Re8 23. Rg1+ Kh8 24. Bd3 and the weak black pawns start to topple.
20.f3 Kh8
21.Rg1 Ng8?!
Leading to a swift dénouement. But after 21... Nbd7 22. h4 b5 23. h5 Black is just helpless. e.g. 23... Rad8 24. Bh3! Nxh5 25. Nd6 Qxg5 26. Nxf7+ Kg7 27. Rxg5 Kxf7 28. Bxd7 Re7 29. Bxc6 Rxd2 30. Kxd2 a6 31. Ke3 with a winning ending.
22.Nd6! Qxg5
23.Rxg5 Re7
24.Re5! Rc7?
Black loses a pawn on 24... Rxe5 25. Nxf7+ Kg7 26. Nxe5, but now he loses much more due to his weak back rank.
25.Re8! b5
26.Nf5 Resigns
White threatens 27. Nh6 and 27. Rdd8 and if 26... gxf5 27. Rg2 h5 28. Rgxg8+ picks up both knights.
1-0
Solution: 1. Bh7+! Nxh7 (1... Kxh7 2. Qf7#) 2. Qg6+ Kf8 3. Qg7#.